


Sweet

by notslickchrome



Category: The Killers (Band)
Genre: Halloween, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:41:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26169607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notslickchrome/pseuds/notslickchrome
Summary: Ronnie stole Brandon's candy when he was ten...then his heart at 16.
Relationships: Brandon Flowers/Ronnie Vannucci Jr.





	Sweet

Age 10

It was rather chilly that Halloween night when I was 10-years-old. I can still feel the cold breeze making my bedsheet-ghost costume flap and seeping through the clothes I was wearing under that costume. Despite the weather, I was quite happy with myself. This was the first year I filled my pillowcase more than halfway with candy and went around the neighborhood on my own. I'm not sure what my parents were thinking letting their youngest wander the streets covered in a bedsheet -- I feel as though they made my siblings look after me -- but who can really trust teenagers not to bail on their little brother on Halloween.

In my small town, I felt invincible, there was not a thing that could hurt me that night.

So I thought.

I was walking back home, feeling the amount of candy I had when it happened. I wandered past a bush and someone leaped out of it.

I can still see the hockey mask and hear the screechy yell. I can feel my pillowcase slipping from my hands and the high pitched scream leaving my throat.

The dickhead picked up my pillowcase, lifted the hockey mask off his face, and cackled right in my prepubescent face.

"Hey, give me that back!" I remember helplessly whimpering.

"No way, scrub," the kid said before taking off in a sprint.

The walk back home was shameful. I started crying immediately after I could no longer see the culprit. I never stopped crying that night, even as I was explaining to my family why I had no candy and every reason to be sobbing.

My dad, bless him, asked me to describe who stole my candy. It took me at least 10 minutes to do so as I was choking on my saliva, but 30 seconds for him to storm out of the house to come after the kid.

He came back an hour later with my pillowcase of candy. Half of it was gone, but I'm still not quite sure if that was my dad or hockey mask guy. Either way, I was satisfied.

I learned the kid who stole my candy was 12-year-old, Ronnie Vannucci Jr. A middle schooler known for mischief and...you could say I didn't see the last of him.

Age 16

During my sophomore year of high school, I was invited to my first real Halloween party. There was alcohol and girls showing too much skin. So what did I do? I spent it sitting on the couch, sipping lukewarm beer that I kind of hated.

I was dressed as a vampire that year, so were a bunch of other guys who looked way more attractive in their costumes than I did. I was about to bail when a cute werewolf sat next to me.

"Hey, dude," He greeted with a cool nod of his head (okay, it was douchey, but cool to 16-year-old me).

"Hi," I managed to squeak. The situation was overwhelming. His plaid shirt with the sleeves torn off? Overwhelming. The 5 o'clock shadow he was sporting? Overwhelming. The music, the shitty beer, him smiling at me revealing clip-on fangs? Fucking overwhelming.

"You looked a little lonely over here -- thought I'd keep you company," he said smoothly.

I laughed awkwardly, whatever strategy I had planned to give off the vibe that I was straight was about to fail. "I like your costume," I croaked.

He smiled, "thanks -- my mom yelled at me for ruining my shirt, but it was so worth it."

"Yeah -- totally," I breathed, staring at his biceps.

"I like your costume too," he complimented. "Probably the hottest Dracula here."

I was speechless -- I thought I was hallucinating for a second. I didn't even have that much beer. "What?" I spat, beyond confused.

He smirked, "you're the hottest Dracula at this party."

A boy? Flirting with me? In high school? I blushed like no other, "are you fucking with me?"

"Absolutely not -- what's your name? I want your name before you start sucking my blood."

"Um -- Brandon."

"I'm Ronnie."

Suddenly, it hit me. "You stole my candy!"

He seemed confused.

"I was 10! You were a middle schooler!"

His eyes widened, "no shit?"

"Yeah! You asshole!"

He laughed, "oh man, I'm so sorry -- I was such a pain in the ass. My dad was furious after talking with your's -- my 12-year-old-self was shaking."

"You shaking? I thought I'd shit my pants after you jumped out of that bush."

"Ah -- I was so bad -- maybe I could make it up to you."

He was looking at me like I was his prey. This was as simulated at 16-year-old me could get. "H-how?" I stammered.

"Follow me," he murmured.

I followed him through the house. Yup, I was really going to trust the guy who jumped me at age 10. My heart was pounding as I was led upstairs. I was scared and excited because I thought I knew what upstairs during a party meant.

Ronnie looked around before pulling me into an empty bedroom. I was 10 times more nervous when he shut and locked the door behind us. There wasn't even any talk before he pressed his lips against mine.

I was caught between the tame side of myself that cried, "no! Your first kiss should be special!" And the other side me that craved what was occurring so badly.

I felt as if though I was shot into a different plane of existence when I felt him kiss down to my neck. He noticed my shock and suddenly stopped. He raised his arms to grab me by the shoulders. "You haven't done this before have you?" He breathed.

"No," I gulped.

He cupped my face in one of his hands, his facial expression softening. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I mustered the courage to say.

He seemed weary, "we're only going to kiss, okay?"

"Good enough for me."

And so we were kissing again. We kissed until we couldn't take it anymore. By the time both our mouths were sore and I was straddling him on the bed, my stupid teenage-self wanted more. Instead, Ronnie patted my cheek and suggested he take me home.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting to happen between Ronnie and me when we left that bedroom. He drove me home and the silence between us in his car was a little unnerving. In the middle of the ride, Ronnie turned on some music, easing the tension a little. I rested my head on the window and watched him reach out his right hand and start to drum his fingers on the dashboard.

The lack of communication between us was making me so uncomfortable, I was considering jumping out the window. This slightly morbid thought was interrupted by familiar drums as we pulled into my neighborhood.

Just Like Heaven by The Cure was playing and I had a conversation piece.

"I like this song!" I exclaimed a little too eagerly.

He looked over at me for a second and chuckled a bit. "Cool, dude," he said.

We had just made out 10 minutes ago and he duded me. I was absolutely defeated. My face must've been so red that anyone dressed as the devil that night looked blue. "Yeah, it's a good song," I spoke like a deflated balloon.

The silence fell over us again and I looked over to him. I wanted to cry because he looked so beautiful and the music was amplifying that. The song wasn't over when we parked in front of my house, I was still staring at him as he put his car in park. He seemed a little startled to find me staring at him.

He put on a cool smirk and gently said, "goodnight, Brandon."

"G-goodnight?" I managed. I stayed in his car, waiting for something more, but instead, he turned his head. I got out of the car and before I could turn around, he was driving away.

My fixation/crush/tragic story with Ronnie lasted the rest of that year and not once did he ever acknowledge what happened between us at that Halloween party. Not once did he ever acknowledge me. I was nothing to him, yet I still had this weak spot for him.

Eventually, I watched him graduate and began moving on as much as I could -- but I never stopped wondering.

Age 22

Halloween parties over the years hadn't changed much for me since the one I made out with Ronnie at. Everyone just grew up and I got used to the taste of alcohol.

Three shots into the party I was at, I was buzzed enough to pretend like I could dance. I hated the music and the people around me, yet I let anyone grind on me as they pleased. I danced with at least 12 sweaty boys until I was face-to-face with the one who made my heart drop the same way it did when I was 16.

I'm not even sure how I recognized him as he had a full beard. I suppose it was those specific deep brown eyes that tripped me out. He seemed to recognize me too, which was a shocker considering he didn't when I was obsessed with him.

"Brandon?" He said just loud enough so I could hear over the music. I bolted out of the crowd and paced as far away from him as I could.

I realized my drunk-ass could not escape when I felt him grab my wrist and pull me back to him. "What the hell do you want?" I snapped, perhaps more angry than I should have.

"Whoa, you're not still hung up on, you know, high school, are you?" He laughed.

Suddenly years of pent-up anger began bubbling up to the surface. I felt as though I owed it to my high school self to let Ronnie have it. "Yeah, I'm still 'hung up'!" I growled, jabbing him in the chest with my pointer finger, "you fucking -- you led me on! You played me! I was 16 and you were the only boy I'd ever liked and fuck you."

"Brandon...I couldn't."

"What couldn't you do? Not make-out with me then never talk to me again?!"

He glared at me, "I couldn't just be with you, Brandon, I would have been kicked out of my house, my friends would leave me -- everything would have gone to shit, things weren't like what they are now. You have to understand that."

"You could have at least said hi to me..."

His expression softened. "Hi," he whispered.

"No, fuck you, you're not allowed to be cute right now, I'm still upset."

"I'm sorry, okay? It's not like I didn't want to be with you...and you think I'm cute?"

"Of course you're cute! And I'm mad because you're supposed to be ugly and I'm supposed to be glad I never ended up with you!"

He smirked at me and I felt like I was 16 all over again. "We can end up together now...no one's stopping us," he chuckled.

I exhaled sharply, "fuck you." Then I was kissing that motherfucker like he never stole my candy when I was ten or broke my heart when I was 16.

Age 28

I dumped out a bag of candy into the bowl I had used to hand out candy every year. Usually, half went to the kids and half went to me, but no one speaks of that. As I was humming to myself to like a housewife, I felt hands on my shoulders. I spun around and was face-to-face with a hockey mask. I was spooked for a moment until I realized that the only person who could be in the house other than me, was Ronnie.

I smirked, "wow, you look just as underwhelming as you did 18 years ago."

Ronnie pulled the mask off and frowned at me, "you mean I didn't scare you?"

"Ronnie, one, I'm not 10 anymore, two, you do this every year."

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "I need to step up my game." I unwrapped a piece of candy and he glared at me, "and you need to stop eating all the damn candy every year."

"Don't pretend you don't stare at me while I eat lollipops."

"Listen, can you blame me?"

I grabbed his hockey mask from him and pulled it over my face. "Would you still have married me if I looked like this?"

He let out a sigh, "Yes."

"I can't eat lollipops like this."

He smirked, "we'd find a way."

I pressed my hand against my hip, "You wouldn't even kiss me like this!"

He shook his head and laughed, "God, you're ridiculous."

"And right!"

"Bet!" He immediately planted a kiss where the holes of the mask were.

As he pulled back grinning, I slipped the mask off. "Man, who's going to tell 10-year-old me that the guy who stole his candy Halloween night's his future husband?"

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him, "I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news."

I hummed in some sort of agreement as he brought his lips to mine. He pulled them back for a moment to speak, "You taste sweet."


End file.
